– AustriA TRAVEL GUIDE –
Country: Austria
Continent: Europe
National capital: Vienna
Population: 8,348,233 people
Area: 83,871 square kilometers
Currency: euro
Language: German
Austria is located in the southern part of central Europe. Two-thirds of the country’s area is mountains. Magnificent views, ski trails, the possibility to practice various sports, or participate in many cultural events make Austria visited by multitudes of tourists every year. Superbly prepared ski bases, ski slopes, or cable cars and lifts make the stay extremely pleasant. Also in summer you can’t complain of boredom here! Traditional Austrian festivals, such as the Chocolate Festival and the Noodle Festival, are sure to provide plenty of excitement and ensure that no one will be bored here. The monastery at Melk on the Danube is also a popular tourist attraction . Austria is famous for its traditional balls, which are held in various places in Vienna each year during Carnival. Austria is a small country, but for centuries it has boasted some of the greatest artists. The most famous are composers born here, including: Mozart, Haydn, Schubert or Johann Strauss.
-AUSTRIA travel guide –
The capital of Austria is Vienna, Austria’s largest city located on the Danube River. Vienna is the seat of the president, parliament and government; it is a major cultural, industrial, academic, service and commercial center of international importance. Vienna is the city according to the Mercer report with the highest quality of life in the world. Vienna is a city full of culture and monuments, to visit the former Habsburg monarchy, to visit the magnificent Baroque palaces of Schönbrunn and Belvedere, to take a peek in the Hofburg at the „captain’s bridge” of the former mighty power and to take a stroll on the beautiful Ringstrawe Boulevard. Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the imperial family, is one of the most beautiful Baroque-style buildings in Europe; attractions of the palace include an enchanting park landscape, the Palm House, the Glorietta and the zoo. Many tourists associate Vienna with coffee served in dozens of ways, as well as Sacher’s cakes (the recipe has not changed for 180 years). Today, the Austrian capital offers many opportunities for successful shopping. From chain stores to tiny boutiques, from refined outlet stores to stores of well-known brands. The city is best discovered during a long shopping trip. Vienna is the only metropolis in the world where vines are grown on a large scale within the city limits. Vienna’s 700 hectares of vineyards shape the image of the city and its culture of taste. Read more about Vienna in article: What should you not miss in Vienna.
Innsbruck – twice host of the Olympic Games (1964 and 1976) – is the capital of Tyrol. The city is located in the valley of the Inn River. About 30 km south is the gateway to Italy – the Brenner Pass (1,370 meters above sea level). Innsbruck is known not only for its excellent surrounding ski slopes, but also for its monuments (the most famous is the so-called Golden Roof – a huge bay window covered with 2,600 gilded tiles), modern architecture (the train stations on the Hungerburg and at the Alpine Zoo – designed by Zaha Hadid) and many apres-ski attractions. From the center of this city of nearly 200,000 people, skiing is done…. almost by ski lift. Olympia SkiWorld is home to as many as nine ski regions: Axamer Lizum, Glungezer, Mutterer Alm, Nordpark, Patscherkofel, Schlick 2000, Stubai Glacier, and Kühtai and Rangger Köpfl. Lovers of excellent trails as well as beautiful views will feel like heaven here. Seegrube is one of the more distinctive resorts in the Alps, as the panorama of Innsbruck, visible even from 2,200 meters above sea level, unfolds before our eyes as we ride. In Glungezer, the longest downhill slope in the Tyrol, which is as long as 15 kilometers, awaits! Snowboarders are treated to Innsbruck’s coolest park – Nordpark with Skylinepark and Super-Pipe. In this region you can taste everything – skiing, night entertainment, rich history and fascinating culture.
Styria is Austria’s second-largest state – it lies in the southeast of Austria, and its landscape is dominated by forests, meadows and vineyards covering about ¾ of its area. Styria is also home to iron ore mining and processing in the basin near Eisenerz, and the shimmering red and bronze Erzberg (Bullion Mountain) is also a tourist attraction.Viennese say that after Semmering the south begins. This is already Styria – the southern slopes of Raxalpen, the mild climate and idyllic rural atmosphere. To the west, where it meets the Salzburger Land, the lofty peaks of the Salzburger Alps and the Low Taur Mountains reign supreme, with magnificent winter sports centers around Schladming and at the foot of the region’s highest peak, the Dachstein, as well as the best cross-country skiing trails imaginable. Styria also includes the beautiful lake district in the north, the Salzkammergut. The state’s main rivers are the Mura, on which Graz lies, its tributary the Mürz and the Salza. This beautiful area offers many tourist attractions. Its capital, Graz, is Austria’s second largest city. The western end of the region has excellent conditions for winter sports. The southeastern part is forgotten country roads among vineyards. In Styria, see Austria’s largest open-air museum in Stübing, the horse farm in Piber and the basilica in Mariazell, the country’s most important Marian shrine.
Graz – the capital of Styria, located on the Mur River, surprises from the first minutes of your stay. On the one hand, the city is steeped in history, which dates all the way back to Roman times. On the other, it’s a place filled with art and modern architecture. Among the most important sights is the Uhrturm tower, a reminder of the former fortress rising on the hill. Today, the ascent is a popular destination for walking or jogging. The old town is filled with numerous elegant townhouses, among which you’ll find the Landeszeughaus, a museum dedicated to weapons. If you prefer slightly more contemporary architecture, then visit the Kunsthaus. The Graz Art Museum has a building with an intriguing, rounded form. On the Mur River, meanwhile, stands the Murinsel, an artificial island connected to both banks by bridges. Graz and its close surroundings also offer a fair amount of green space. In addition to the aforementioned castle mountain, the Stadtpark, Augarten or the gardens surrounding Schloss Eggenberg are also noteworthy. Graz also has quite a wide range of atmospheric pubs. As a result, you will have something to do here both during the day and at night.
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